Art Therapy: Perfectionism
A perfectionist aims for the ideal version of a pursuit and has disproportionate feelings of disappointment if they fail to reach their goal. Perfectionism can have many roots, but it is generally tied to a person’s perception of their self-worth.
The Beauty of Mistakes
This charming children’s book highlights themes of perfectionism, optimism, & resilience.
“As one artist incorporates accidental splotches, spots, and misshapen things into her art, she transforms her piece in quirky and unexpected ways, taking readers on a journey through her process. Told in minimal, playful text, this story shows readers that even the biggest “mistakes” can be the source of the brightest ideas—and that, at the end of the day, we are all works in progress, too.”
We recommend reading this book first, then introducing the following art therapy activity.
Art Therapy Activity: Embracing Imperfection
What you’ll need to have:
drawing paper
pens, pencils, crayons, markers, paint—your choice! (our favorite is colored pens)
timer (20 seconds is ideal because it’s long enough to make a meaningful contribution to the picture, but short enough to force improvisation. Read on to learn more!)
2+ people
What you’ll need to review:
collaboration: We are going to work on creating a picture together by taking turns. When it’s your turn, you get to decide what to add to the picture. When it’s my turn, I get to decide.
frustration: You will only have 20 seconds at a time to contribute to the picture. When the time is up, even if you’re not ready, you have to pass the picture.
flexibility: You might have an idea of how you want the picture to look, and I might add something unexpected. Let’s be flexible and see what we can create together!
How to do it:
Using The Book of Mistakes as inspiration, create a collaborative drawing by passing a piece of paper back and forth for 20 second intervals. During your turn with the paper, draw or change whatever you want, but when your 20 seconds is up, you must pass the picture to the next person. Practice flexible thinking by letting the drawing evolve beyond your control!
Tip: Sometimes it’s helpful to have a predetermined number of passes (we will each get 10 contributions), but this drawing exercise can go on as long as everyone is engaged!
Talk About It!
Did you enjoy this exercise?
How did it feel when you didn’t have control over the picture?
Did you ever feel stuck or unsure what to contribute?
Do you like what we created together?
What can we learn from working together?
What can we learn from making mistakes?
Materials:
Children’s Books About Perfectionism:
